2.8.

1 Brittle and ductile deformation

Rheology is the science of the deformation and flow of solid materials.

The way in which a solid reacts to stress depends on how large the stress is and
the length of time for which it is applied.

Provided the applied stress does not exceed the yield stress (or elastic limit) the
short-term behavior is elastic

if the applied stress

exceeds the yield stress, the solid may experience either
brittle or ductile deformation.

Brittle deformation
-consists of rupture without other
distortion.
-Abrupt process that causes faulting
in rocks and earthquakes, accompanied by the release of
elastic energy in the form of seismic waves.
-occurs at much lower stresses than the intrinsic
strength of a crystal lattice
-attributed to the pres-
ence of cracks, which modify the local internal stress field
in the crystal
-occurs under either extension or
shear
-Extensional fracture occurs on a plane at right
angles to the direction of maximum tension
-Shear fracture occurs under compression on one of two comple-
mentary planes which, reflecting the influence of internal
friction, are inclined at an angle of less than 45? (typically
about 30?) to the maximum principal compression
-main mechanism in tectonic processes
that involve the uppermost 5–10km of the lithosphere.

Ductile deformation
-is a slow process in which a solid
acquires strain (i.e., it changes shape) over a long period
of time
-large stress for a long period of time a solid
can slowly and permanently change shape
-time-
dependent deformation is called plastic flow
-capacity of the solid to flow is called its ductility.
-The duc-
tility of a solid above its yield stress depends on tempera-
ture and confining pressure, and materials that are brittle
under ordinary conditions may be ductile at high temper-
ature and pressure.
-The behavior of rocks and minerals in the deep interior of the Earth is
characterized by ductile
deformation.
-transition from brittle to ductile occur differently in oceanic and conti-
nental lithosphere.
- The depth of the transition
depends on several parameters, including the composition
of the rocks, the local geothermal gradient, initial crustal
thickness and the strain rate.
-it is sensitive to
the vertically layered structure of the lithosphere